An increasingly large amount of peer-reviewed research, published since the IPCC 4th Assessment Report was released in 2007, shows that global warming is happening right now, and that it is quicker than predicted just 2 years ago.

The evidence for this statement is from many areas. Some of the areas showing change are shown below.

-Multiple ecosystems, in multiple locations, now show the effects of global warming. Examples include the timing of plant flowering, animal breeding, and lake thawing.

Lakes are freezing later and thawing earlier due to climate change.

Lakes are freezing later and thawing earlier due to climate change.

-Higher ocean surface temperatures in Pacific & Atlantic hurricane-formation zones leading to stronger cyclones are definitely related to anthropogenic warming.

-Ocean acidification is happening rapidly, as a result of CO2 in large amounts being dissolved in sea water. This will have massive changes on marine ecosystems and also food security for many nations.

-Expected sea-level elevation over the next few decades will be greater than that predicted in 2007. It will probably increase a metre or more, according to recently published research.

-The accelerated melting of the ice sheet in Greenland that started in 2004 has been definitely linked to climate change.

-The West Antarctic Ice Shelf has undergone rapid melting over the last 10 years and has suffered 10 major ice shelf collapses over that time.

-Sea-ice in the Arctic is disappearing much quicker than previously estimated, and it is almost a given that this area will be ice-free in summer within a few decades.

-Thawing of the boreal permafrost is much speedier than recently calculated, and is expelling a lot more greenhouse gases than expected.

Plants are flowering earlier in spring as temperatures warm, particularly in alpine areas.

Plants are flowering earlier in spring as temperatures warm, particularly in alpine areas.

The global warming that is now occurring is going to extend for multiple centuries even after all human-released greenhouse gas escape ceases. This is due to the significant inertia that exists in the climate and the delayed decay of carbon dioxide from within the environment (around 25% remains for greater than 5000 years).

Summary

It remains to be seen whether we will work as one to avoid the worst problems of global warming before we pass an important tipping point that might kick off extreme global warming.